About Me

Hola, Gutentag, Bonjour and/or Hello! My name is Cassandra and I am a soon-to-be instructional designer! 

I am currently a graduate student at Bellevue University and planning to graduate in 2023. 

Before beginning my journey at Bellevue University, I graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice  in NYC and obtained my bachelors in forensic psychology. Within my last year of college I relocated to Marianna, Florida with my husband and began working in a correctional facility that had a re-entry program. Initially starting as a Life Skills Instructor I transitioned to a Substance Abuse Counselor and finally a Transitional Case Manager which afforded me the opportunity to conduct biopsychosocial assessments and one on one therapy sessions with incarcerated male inmates serving a variety of sentences for violent and non-violent crimes.

 After Hurricane Michael hit in October 2018 the area we lived in (although it fared better than our neighbors in Panama City) was impacted economically and aesthetically so I left my career in corrections as we moved to Pennsylvania and I began a graduate program in Applied Behavior Analysis while doing contracted work as a behavioral therapist. Little did I know, the trajectory of my career would take an unexpected shift....

Five months after moving, I was offered a position working at a virtual K-12 school. Although my intention was to return to criminal justice, I found a passion working with students and their families to support their engagement, awareness and knowledge of graduation requirements and school wide expectations.  As someone who struggled with school prior to entering college, I found a niche in explaining and breaking down intimidating concepts into relatable contexts. 

There is not a day that passes where I don't think back to my experience working within the criminal justice system. I carry this experience within all aspects of my life, but especially when trying to make connections with my students and families. I understand ever so much the importance of having that person who truly believes in you, a support system that is unwavering.

My role within instructional design intends to be one that helps to bridge gaps in education and equal access to education by developing  K-12 instructional tools and curriculum that is understandable, relevant and relatable to children from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Education should be engaging and interesting to students, not intimidating, dreadful and something that ends after high school graduation.

For employment opportunities, please feel free to reach out via email to cassandra.t.thomas@gmail.com.